Abstract

Aims: To investigate the research impact of active medical radiation
science (MRS) researchers and the research output of MRS institutions
globally.
Methods: An iterative search strategy was used to firstly identify productive
MRS authors and then examine their productivity over a 5-
year period (January 1, 2010–December 31, 2014) using ‘‘SciVal’’
(Elsevier). For each of the authors, the total number of publications
in peer-reviewed journals, total number of citations, international
collaboration metrics, number of citations per publication, h-index,
and i10-index were extracted. Each author’s total impact was then
quantified. SciVal was also used to quantify the institutional activity.
Results: The 105 active authors identified came from 50 institutions
worldwide. Most (73.3%) of the active authors had published at least
five articles in peer-reviewed international journals within the period
reviewed. The total citation count of all authors identified was 3,472
(range, 0–224). The h-index and i10-index of MRS researchers
ranged from 0 to 24 (mean, 5.6) and 0 to 34 (mean, 2.48),
respectively.
Conclusion: Findings demonstrate a low level of research activity
and international collaboration among MRS authors. Data provided
may help with strategic development goals and to identify potential
collaborators and research supervisors internationally. Low publication
rates and citations counts raise questions about the viability
and sustainability of the MRS evidence base.